Spain Taught Me One Important Life Lesson

Spain gives me the feeling of freedom and liberty. I have never experienced this in America, but there is more to life than freedom.

It all started with me escaping the American dream for few reasons: safety, personal healthcare, exorbitant costs, and poor quality of life. Also, the monotony and boredom of American existence that is made up of work and sleep, only.

In 2018 I moved to Spain, and since then it has been my permanent home. We were in love as soon as we arrived with my then 8-year-old daughter.

The life in Spain was an ocean apart from the stressful, competitive existence in America. This was exactly what we needed.

The Spanish lifestyle gave us back our lost connection with nature. We started to live according to the sun, not according to the clock.

Meals were longer, and we enjoyed every second of it. No one was in a hurry, no one was stressed. Of course, there were exceptions, but in general, that was the atmosphere.

In Spain, I reconnected with myself and with the world around me.

Different region, different morals

I found myself in a culture that is very different from American. In a way, it was very exotic to me. Andalusia taught me a lot. At night, I often fell asleep listening to a street flamenco.

I’ve learned that having coffee or traditional tostadas in the morning with orange juice asthe key to a good start of the day. Also, not constantly working brought me more creativity and ideas than doing everything under the pressure.

After two o’clock in the afternoon, it’s siesta time in Spain. Many Spaniards in small towns return to work after it and are there until the evening. I loved that concept and I still do.

A different lifestyle

In Andalusia, I lived in the most romantic city, Granada. The city is located just 45 minutes of the Southern Spain coast. You can go to the beach in the morning and then enjoy the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada in the afternoon.

I never felt so alive as I do now.

Granada has an exceptional heritage dating back to the Moorish period. The whole city is like a big open-air museum. You can see the Arab influence in the architecture everywhere.

The best part of living in Andalusia was the food. I didn’t know that eating could be so pleasurable.

In Granada, they have a saying: “the good things in life are free.” This definitely applies to their food culture. You get your free tapas with a drink.

One day, I was strolling through the Albayzin, the old Moorish quarter of Granada, and I stumbled upon a small restaurant called “El Chinitas.” The owner, Antonio, was cooking outside on an open fire.

He offered me a free taste of his oxtail stew. It was so incredibly delicious that I ended up eating there every day for the next week.

That was the moment when I realized that the Spanish way of life is something special and I wanted to learn more about it.

So, I decided to take a cooking class.

The best part of the class was not only learning how to cook traditional Spanish dishes but also hearing Antonio’s stories about his childhood, his family , and his life in general.

I will never forget the day when he told us that in Spain, family always comes first. No matter what happens in life, you can always count on your family. They will be there for you, no matter what.

That was a lesson that I needed to learn.

In America, I always felt like I was on my own. My family was far away and I didn’t have many friends.

But in Spain, I finally felt at home. And that is something that I will be forever grateful for.

I discovered in Andalusia that I could appreciate simple moments, to smile and enjoy genuinely instead of making a big deal out of everything or sharing delicious food.

Spain is not only a large but also a diverse country. As the provinces differ, they reflect the different customs and culture of the region and the people.

But what I love about Spain is the feeling of freedom and liberty it gives me. I like the immediacy and cordiality of the Spaniards, the hot sun, history, access to the sea and beautiful beaches, as well as enjoying good food.

The most important lesson that Spain taught me is the importance of living in the present moment and enjoying every second of it. Create the future you desire right now.

I realized that life is too short to waste it on things that don’t make us happy.

Now, I am trying to apply this lesson in my life and I am grateful to Spain for teaching it to me.